After the Battle
by missauburnleaf
Summary: After the Battle of the Five Armies, Sigrid is helping to tend to the injured in the ruins of Dale. Then, the surviving crown prince of Erebor asks for her... Prequel to "Marriage Vows", containing Fígrid as well as hints of Kiliel and Bagginshield with Fem!Bilbo.
1. Hoping

Of course, there were rumours.

The line of Durin had fallen, first the golden-haired crown prince, killed by the Pale Orc himself, then his dark-haired brother who had been a victim of Azog's disgusting son, Bolg, and at last the King under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield, who had obviously given his own life so that he could free the world from the Pale Orc, once and for all.

"It's true, one of the company told me himself, Siggy, the one with the funny hat, he shared his brandy and his grief with me, complaining that Dain would never be as great a king as Thorin," Pete, a fisherman's son who was about her age, told her.

"Don't call me 'Siggy' - you know that I don't like it," Sigrid replied, feeling her heart clench at the news. It couldn't be true; they couldn't be dead!

"Ouch! You don't have to be cruel... I'm just the messenger," the seventeen-year-old boy declared while Sigrid was changing the dressings on his thigh. Pete had been wounded in the Battle of the Five Armies, like so many others, and Sigrid had been doing nothing else but to change dressings or applying ointments for the last three days. Yet his wound reminded her of Kíli and thus of the night when the dragon attacked... The dragon her father had killed while she had fled a burning city with her siblings, four dwarves and an elf.

Although Thorin and his company had previously stayed with them, Sigrid somehow felt closer to the four dwarves who had remained behind in lake-town, especially to the young princes, Thorin Oakenshield's nephews. At first, before she had learned about dwarven ages, she had thought that Kíli was close to her in age, maybe only two or three years older than her, whereas she had Fíli estimated to be about twenty-five. However, she had been really wrong in her assumption. Or maybe not since in comparison to the other two dwarves who had stayed behind, Fíli and Kíli had appeared to be rather adolescents or young adults. But why was she thinking about them anyway? They were dead, gone, fallen in battle like true heroes.

"Listen, Siggy, I'm really sorry for your loss, but you are young, you will find another," Pete suddenly said, startling her.

"What? Why are you saying that?" she asked confused. Yes, she had lost her home and all of her mother's memorabilia with it, but according to his words, he was rather talking about a person, not a house.

Pete smiled sadly at her, even placing his rough and strong hand over hers. "Because I'm not blind. I've noticed how the blond dwarf had looked at you at the lake-shore after we had all stranded there, how he had always been close to you as if protecting you. And since he had been wearing your blue shawl when leaving for the mountain I thought... Well, I thought that you two had maybe been... lovers?"

Sigrid was speechless. How could Pete assume something like that? Yes, it was true, Fíli had helped her on several occasions, charging an orc who had tied to hurt her, offering her his hand when she had climbed into the boat, sharing his body heat with her while they were waiting for the dawn to see who had survived the dragon attack and what had remained of Lake-town. So, when Fíli had left for the mountain, giving him her shawl so that he would not be cold had been the least she could do for him. That was what friends did: Looking out for each other.

"Pete, Fíli and I are... were no lovers. We just happened to be in the same boat when trying to escape the dragon fire. That's all!" she clarified.

Pete drew his eyebrows together. "So you are not pining after a lost love who happened to be some exotic prince?" he wanted to know.

Sigrid bit her lower lip, shaking her head.

Pete smiled deviously. "Well, then I might have a chance with you... I'll turn eighteen in February and can take a bride then. So... would you agree? To become my wife, I mean?"

Sigrid was speechless again. "Did you just propose to me?" she inquired tentatively.

Pete shrugged. "Well, maybe. I mean, we just survived a dragon attack and an epic battle, so I won't beat around the bush! Marry me! I've been helping my father with fishing since I had turned fifteen, so there is some money I have saved. I could build us a home, a new home, here in Dale or directly at the lakeshore, whatever you prefer!" he declared almost desperately.

Sigrid smiled sadly at him. "No, Pete, no, I'm sorry, I won't marry you. I don't think that I will ever marry. I have to look after Da and Bain and Tilda. I don't love you, so I can't", she explained.

Pete lowered his gaze, nodding slowly. "I understand. You don't want me. But it was worth a try, wasn't it? I mean, you are seventeen, most girls your age are already married, so I thought... well, I don't know what I thought. But you are one of the prettiest girls in town yet you don't have the attitude... But I understand. Thanks for helping me! Say hello to your Da and Bain, will you."

And with those words he stood up from the chair he had been occupying while Sigrid had tended to his wound, making room for others who needed treatment.

While Sigrid was washing her hands in one of the basins the healers and their assistants used to clean their hands off blood and other bodily fluids they came in contact with, she was recalling her conversation with Pete. Seriously, thinking that she and Fíli had been an item... And then proposing to her out of the blue. The boy got guts.

"Sig! Sig!"

Somebody tapped her upper arm. Of course, it was Tilda.

"What's up, Tilly?" Sigrid asked her younger sister. As always, the girl's hair was a mess, several strands of her light brown hair were escaping the neat braid Sigrid had put into her sister's hair this morning.

"Da got a message from the mountain! They are alive! The grumpy old dwarf and the cute one with the dark hair and the blond one who was always staring at you!" Tilda explained exasperatedly.

Sigrid froze. Did her little sister just say that they had all survived the battle? Thorin Oakenshield and both of his nephews?

"Are you sure, Tilda?" Sigrid whispered.

The eleven-year-old girl nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, that's why Da sent me to go fetch you... Apparently, the blond dwarf had asked for you after briefly waking up and Da wants you to go to the mountain to find out what's going on," Tilda explained.

Sigrid's heart left out a beat. He had asked for her! The blond dwarf, the crown prince, Thorin Oakenshield's heir, Fíli. It surprised her that he even remembered her name.

"Alright, Tilly. I will try to find out what's going on in the Lonely Mountain. But first I have to check with Hilda Bianca if I can just leave right now, okay? They need my help here, to tend to the injured," Sigrid remarked and Tilda rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Sig, you can tend to the wounded dwarves when you reach the mountain. And I can replace you here. I'm a big girl, I'll turn twelve next spring," her little sister argued and Sigrid couldn't help but smile. Tilda was neither patient nor could she stand blood. Sigrid vividly remembered the morning when she had started bleeding three years ago... Tilda had almost fainted when she had discovered the rust-coloured stains on Sigrid's side of the bed, crying that she would be a good girl and do everything Sigrid asked of her, if only her big sister wouldn't die. Since then, Sigrid had always tried to keep it a secret when she got her monthly.

"Alright, Tilly, I'll check with Hilda Bianca. But I cannot promise anything. She is the chief healer here," Sigrid told her younger sister, not being sure if she preferred the older woman to refuse her request or to allow her to leave the sick bay so that she could find out what was going on with the crown prince of Erebor.


	2. Knowing

I'd like to thank pallysdeeks for the review on the last chapter!

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When Sigrid entered their makeshift-home in one of the less destroyed buildings of Dale, she found her father pouring over some documents.

"Da? You sent Tilda to the sick bay in order to get me?" she asked him.

He looked up from the papers spread out on the wooden table, frowning.

"Sigrid, it's good to see you once in a while... You are always so busy lately, helping others, trying to make us a home here, in the ruins of the city," he said and smiled sadly. _He looks old and tired_ , Sigrid thought, _maybe I should have taken care of him instead of helping at the sick bay._

"Da, I'm sure that is not the reason why you sent for me... Tilda mentioned that you got news from the Lonely Mountain?" she tried to lead the conversation back on track.

Her father sighed, rubbing his eyes, then nodding. "Oh, yes. Apparently, Thorin Oakenshield and his nephews have survived the battle, despite the rumours that all three of them have fallen. But they are seriously injured, it's not even clear if they will survive. Therefore Dain is currently King under the Mountain, ruling in Thorin Oakenshield's stead until he gets better... if he gets better; he has not woken up yet..." he revealed.

Sigrid waited patiently for more information, yet her father seemed to be occupied otherwise, gathering the papers from the table, arranging them in three different piles.

"Da, Tilda mentioned something about Thorin Oakenshield's nephew..." she hinted tentatively.

Her father nodded again. "Oh, yeah, that's the reason I sent for you. It seems that Thorin's heir is drifting in and out of consciousness due to his injury, the bloodloss and an infection. But during the brief periods when he is awake, he is mumbling your name, asking for you, demanding to see you... It confuses the dwarven healers tending to him and it confuses me. Do you have any idea why he is asking for you?" he suddenly wanted to know.

Sigrid felt her cheeks burning. "I have no idea, Da. Yet he was one of the four dwarves staying behind in Lake-town, before the dragon attacked. Maybe it's because I helped him and his brother? Because we fled Lake-town together?" she offered, leaving out the part when Fíli had helped her into the boat by taking her hand and kept her warm at the lakeshore by wrapping his arms around her...

"Yes, that makes sense. Anyway, the surviving people of Lake-town and especially the councilmen and guards want to crown me king - which would make you a princess, Sig, meaning that you will also have to fulfil certain duties. Therefore, tomorrow morning I want you to go to the mountain, to tend to Thorin Oakenshield's nephew and find out what is behind his request," her father explained.

Sigrid nodded slowly. "Of course, I've already asked Hilda Bianca if I could leave and she was okay with it... The only problem is that Tilda insists on replacing me at the sick bay and I'm afraid she will wreck havoc! Hilda Bianca, however, has allowed her to stay for the rest of the afternoon and told her to make herself useful there. I hope for the best but... you know Tilda, Da," Sigrid babbled due to her nervousness. Her father would sent her on a mission!

"Yes, I know her, Sig. But I trust in her as I trust in you. She will cope," he explained, smiling fondly. Then he opened his arms and Sigrid complied his silent request, crossing the room and letting him take her into his arms. For a moment, Sigrid relinquished her father's warmth and scent since it made her feel like a little girl again, when she thought that nothing bad could happen to her as long as her father would hold her. And then he had told her that her mother was dead...

"I'm so proud of you, Sigrid, do you know that?" he whispered into her hair before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I know, Da. And I'm proud of you too!" she answered before letting go of her father.

"Alright, I have some paperwork to do... And I believe it is time for you to pack your things for your journey to the mountain," her father said before turning back to the table and the documents.

"Well, it's not much that I can pack - most of my belongings were destroyed in the dragon fire," she remarked sadly, then left the room.

It was true. Actually, she only possessed the clothes she was wearing now and a few spare clothes she had found in the ruins of the city, like all the other people from Lake-town. She definitely needed to do some laundry before leaving for the mountain. Her blouse, skirts and waistcoat were full of stains and smelled of soot and sweat. Sighing, Sigrid started to remove her clothes until she was only wearing her smallclothes and her bodice. For today, she would wear the yellow skirt and the turquoise blouse with the orange waistcoat they had found in one of the chests in this house and which were about her size. But before she could put on those clothes, the door to her room opened; it was Bain.

"How dare you burst into Tilda's and my room like that? Get out!" she shrieked and Bain obeyed, his cheeks burning, mumbling, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

As soon as Sigrid was dressed, she opened the door to her room and let Bain in. "What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Is it true what people say? You are going to the mountain because the crown prince has asked for your hand in marriage?"

Sigrid's jaw dropped. "Who is telling such nonsense? Of course not, Da will send me there because the crown prince, who is seriously injured, has asked for me and neither his dwarven healers nor Da or I know why. Da wants me to find out. And maybe I can make myself useful there as well, help tending to the wounded", she explained.

"Oh," was all that Bain said to that, sitting down on her and Tilda's bed. Sigrid took her seat next to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"Did you really believe the rumour?" she wanted to know and Bain shrugged.

"Perhaps, I mean, first it is said that the King under the Mountain and his nephews have fallen, then they are suddenly alive and the next thing I hear is that my sister will go to the mountain because the crown prince wants to marry her... How shall I know what is right and what is wrong? Therefore, I wanted to hear from you," he admitted.

Sigrid smiled and briefly pressed his shoulders. "Well, you've heard from me now. But still, how could you believe that the crown prince of Erebor, a dwarf nonetheless, has asked for my hand in marriage? And why would I accept?" she countered.

Bain shrugged again. "I don't know... I just remembered how the blond dwarf was always staring at you when he thought nobody would notice," her brother revealed.

Sigrid drew her eyebrows together. Tilda had said something similar. And even Pete had thought that she and Fíli had been lovers...

Sigrid just shook her head. The idea that Fíli, Thorin Oakenshield's nephew, the heir to the throne of Erebor could be interested in her was absurd!

"Ach, Bain, don't worry, tomorrow I will just go on a mission as the future princess of Dale - and I have a mission for you as the future prince of Dale: This evening, before supper, you can go to the sick bay and fetch Tilda; she is helping there in my stead," Sigrid requested.

"Tilda's helping at the sick bay? Oh, dear... I'm afraid she is doing more harm to the injured than good," Bain remarked, frowning, then he stood up from the bed.

Sigrid smiled to herself, then she stood up as well in order to do her laundry before starting with the preparations for supper.


	3. Hearing

Sorry for the wrong chapter! Still, I'd like to thank all my readers for their interest in this story, especially those who have left comments!

* * *

At dawn, Sigrid left the ruins of the City of Dale, her new home, for the Lonely Mountain.

Saying goodbye to her father and her siblings had not been easy. Her father had embraced her so tightly, as if he didn't want to let her go, Bain had tried to blink back tears, whispering into her ear "Stay safe!" while hugging her and Tilda had sobbed and clung to her as if her life depended on it.

Sigrid understood why; for Tilda, she was more than a sister.

Since her mother had died due to complications during Tilda's birth, Sigrid had more or less taken over the part of a mother for her little sister, despite the fact that she had only been seven years old at that time.

Of course, she couldn't feed the child, but some women of Lake-town, who had still been nursing their own children, had volunteered to nurse Tilda as well, taking turns in feeding not only their own offspring but also Bard's youngest daughter because Margo, his late wife, had been liked by everyone in town.

Later, when Tilda had been a few months old, Hilda Bianca had taught Sigrid how to feed the baby with goat milk, diluted oatmeal and later even broth and mashed potatoes, fish and vegetables.

"I can't believe that your father wants me to babysit you on your way to those filthy dwarves! If he was so concerned for your well-being, he wouldn't send you there," Alfrid complained and Sigrid rolled her eyes.

She couldn't believe as well that her father thought that the Master's former assistant would be adequate company for her. She had witnessed during the battle of the five armies how cowardly he really was, not only hiding (disguised as an old woman) while all the other people of Lake-town defended the ruins of Dale, but also trying to steal the little gold they had and which they would need to rebuild the city, start a new life.

Luckily, her father had caught him in the act and prevented the theft.

On the other hand, Alfrid now regarded himself as her father's assistant, meddling in affairs that were none of his business and bothering the survivors of the dragon attack. Maybe that was the reason why her father had sent him with her, to get rid of him, if only for a short while.

"I guess you don't know the stories about the dwarves... Stories the citizens of Dale and the surrounding villages once told," he continued and Sigrid rolled her eyes again. Why couldn't Alfrid just fall off his horse?

"No, I don't know the stories. And I don't think that I want to hear them now. It is such a wonderful late autumn morning and I don't want to have it spoiled by one of your untrue stories," she answered and wondered about her courage to talk to him like that.

Alfrid snorted. "Arrogant and ignorant like your father. But heed my words, it's not safe for pretty girls to get involved with dwarves. In Dale, more than once a young woman was stolen and brought to the mountain by those disgusting and greedy creatures... It is well known that they don't have enough dwarf women, so they steal the women of other races to breed. Of course, she-elves are good fighters and hobbit-women are not living in the proximity of the mountain, so they have to take our women," Alfrid explained and, thus, telling the story he wanted to tell her from the beginning and which she actually didn't want to hear.

"That's nonsense! I was there, at the lake-shore, Fíli and the others could have taken me and Tilda with them if they wanted to, but they didn't! And even Kíli had politely asked the pretty elf-lady to come with him – which she refused. So, please, Alfrid, stop telling lies. Besides, my mother came from one of those surrounding villages and she never told me such a story," Sigrid shot back, hoping to shut the greasy git up.

Actually, she suceeded.

Pouting, Alfrid remained quiet for the rest of their journey to the mountain; Sigrid was thankful for that. She was already nervous enough and didn't need to listen to Alfrid's complaints or dark stories. Yet he had sown a seed of doubt in her heart. What if the Crown Prince really decided to keep her there? Her siblings and Pitt had claimed that the blond dwarf had been staring at her. Maybe for him she was like some kind of treasure and he wanted her for himself. But her father would have never let her go to the mountain if that were the case. So, if Alfrid's story was true, then her father would have known it as well and then he would have made sure that she stayed as far away from the mountain as possible.

And then they finally arrived at the gates of Erebor. Sigrid was surprised to see a couple of armed dwarves in full armour in front of it.

"Halt! What is your business here?" one of the dwarves shouted and Sigrid and Alfrid immediately stopped their horses.

"I'm Sigrid, Bard's daughter, and I was sent here because your Crown Prince is asking for me," she answered quickly in order to beat Alfrid to it; his response would have been very likely rather impolite.

"Miss Sigrid! Of course, Master Balin himself wrote the message yesterday and we were instructed to let you pass so that you can be led to the infirmary where Prince Fíli is recovering from his injuries, after a fashion," the dwarf revealed and Sigrid's heart sank. Apparently, Fíli's condition was really bad.

"Please, get off your horse and follow me inside. Unfortunately, we cannot let your companion enter Erebor since he wasn't invited," another dwarf said and Sigrid looked briefly in Alfrid's direction. Actually, she was glad that the greasy git would not be accompanying her, yet she feared that he would be able to start another war with the dwarves due to inappropriate remarks.

So, Sigrid got off her horse, which was immediately led away by yet another dwarf. "We will take care of it," he promised as he noticed her concerned expression.

Sigrid just licked her lips and nodded nervously, then she followed the dwarf into the mountain.

It looked completely different from what she had expected. Erebor was in ruins, like Dale. There was no hint that the mountain was full of gold and jewels. And it seemed to be bustling with dwarves – dwarves who were now staring at her as if she was sprouting two heads.

"Is this her? The girl from Lake-town?" she could hear their whispers and started to feel uncomfortable. Luckily enough, the dwarf soon led her into an empty corridor, only to stop in front of a heavy door, made from oak and iron. He knocked several times in what appeared to be a particular pattern (maybe a secret signal?), then the door was opened from the inside and Sigrid came face to face with the old, deaf dwarf who had stayed behind with Fíli and Kíli in Lake-town. Óin was his name, Sigrid remembered.

His face lit up as soon as he recognized her.

"Ah, Miss Sigrid! I'm so glad you could come! Our Prince Fíli is very adamant on seeing you whenever he wakes up from his unconsciousness... I hope that your presence will give him some peace of mind so that his body can heal properly," he declared before nodding towards the dwarf who had accompanied Sigrid. The dwarf bowed slightly, then he left them alone.

"Come on in, Miss Sigrid. I'm afraid that Prince Fíli ist not awake at the moment, but maybe you sitting with him might rouse him from his unconsciousness," the Óin remarked, taking her arm and guiding her inside the dimmed room smelling of blood, sweat, urine and herbs.


End file.
